Blue Skies Fade to Grey
by Lucky Charmz
Summary: It's times like these I think you're real. And that this is more than some smutty summer romance. But I think I might know better. Might. AU Trory.
1. Huddle Formation

Hey! I'm back with a Trory. Rory and Tristin have never met. Rory grew up with Christopher, Emily and Richard. Straub and Francine Hayden want nothing to do with her. Lorelai died giving birth to her. She is the Queen of Chilton, but had no desire for a king. She is spending summer in North Carolina with her best friends Paris Geller, Dave Rygalski, Finn Morgan, Lane Kim, Louise Grant, Jess Mariano and Madeline Lynn. Tristin is the king of his military school in North Carolina. 

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Gilmore Girls belongs to AS-P. The title of this chapter is a song by The Go! Team.

**Rating**: T - because Jess can't seem to keep his mouth clean, Finn likes getting laid waaaaay too much and because Rory finally likes to do something other than read.

It's the summer before senior year. She's up for a summer of boys and fun. He's ready to hit the sand and see the girls. Nothing could go wrong.

* * *

**Chapter 1**: _Huddle Formation_

On any normal day, Lorelai Leigh "Rory" Gilmore-Hayden would be found at the pool. She could also be found at a local shopping mall. One wouldn't be too far off looking for her at the spa, either.

This day, though, was different. This day she was in a place she hadn't been to in a while. If by "a while" you mean six months.

Court. She smirked inwardly at the thought. She dared not smirk while her father was standing beside herself and her two male companions. Not boyfriends, male companions. That's how she had always been. These two were always with her and she didn't really want anything else. Romance was not her strongest point.

"You do understand why you are here, correct Miss… Gilmore-Hayden?" the judge inquired.

Rory nodded. "Yes, sir. I stole a taxi cab with my friends."

"And you young men," the judge said, a bit more roughly, to the two boys. "Mr. Morgan and Mr. Mariano, you understand why you're here?"

The two boys nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I see no reason to hold Miss Gilmore-Hayden," the judge said. "However, there will be a fine of five hundred dollars and you will serve sixty hours of community service."

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. No jail. Thank. God.

"Mr. Morgan," the judge said, bringing Rory back to reality. "As you were the one driving, you will receive a harsher punishment. You have a fine of one-thousand dollars and you will serve no less than one hundred hours of community service."

Rory saw Finn roll his eyes and stifled a giggle. Her father glared at her and she sobered quickly. Jess, who was standing next to her, closed his eyes and bit his lip in an attempt to not laugh. Christopher Hayden glared at him, as well, but it did no use to glare at Jess Mariano.

"Mr. Mariano," the judge stated. "You were a mere accomplice in this rendezvous, I assume? You had nothing to do with it?"

"Actually, Your Honor," Jess began. "I was the one who suggested we steal the taxi."

"Any reason?" the judge inquired.

"We were sitting in the hotel room," Jess responded. "Bored as hell, let me tell you. Then I saw a cab, looked at Rory and Finn, and told them what had to be done to cure our case of boredom."

Rory knew the look on her father's face. Pissed. Completely pissed.

"So you suggested stealing a taxi cab because you were bored?" the judge asked.

Jess thought for a moment. "Yep, that's pretty much it."

"Well, Mr. Mariano, I guess I should thank you for your honesty," the judge said.

"Thank you," Jess replied.

The judge looked at Jess. "But I won't. You also have a fine of five hundred dollars and will serve sixty hours of community service."

"Bugger!" Finn exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Morgan?" the judge asked.

Finn looked from the judge to Mr. Hayden. He saw Rory, standing behind the rather scary looking man, shake her head slightly.

He looked back to the judge. "Nothing, sir."

"Fine, then this court is adjourned."

Rory turned to her father and smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Dad."

"We'll talk later," Christopher responded. "After dinner with your grandparents."

"Both sets?" Rory asked.

Christopher nodded. "Both. Sets."

Rory sighed. "Great."

"Just be glad you're not in jail right now," Christopher said. "Be unhappy about dinner later."

"I'm going out until then," Rory said. "Jess, Finn and I have to talk about summer vacation."

"You are not leaving this country," Christopher told her.

"I know," Rory said. "We're going to North Carolina."

Christopher nodded. "Stay out of trouble. Be home by six."

"Will do," Rory said, walking over to Finn and Jess.

"So, Love," Finn said. "Louise's house?"

Rory smiled. "Sounds good to me."

"I should probably thank your dad later," Jess said. "When he's not pissed."

"Maybe you should have refrained from saying 'yep' to a judge," Rory suggested. "Just a thought, though."

Jess shrugged. "He wanted to know why we did it."

"And Jess told him," Finn explained.

Rory laughed at her two best friends. It had always been like this, since before she could remember.

She and Finn had met when her father brought her to Finn's house to talk international laws and such with Finn's parents. Jess had just moved in next door. The three of them had created some sort of bond in that afternoon, and had remained friends ever since.

Lane Kim and Paris Geller joined the group during their first year at Chilton Preparatory Pre-School. They had befriended the two girls the first day. Lane was the daughter of Yao Kim, jeweler extraordinaire. They'd all been scared of Lane's mother, Tan, at first, but they eventually grew used to the no junk food, all Christian music atmosphere.

Paris was a different story. Her parents were never home, and the group often escaped to her house -- even when they were little -- to get away from their parents. Paris was the anal retentive, school obsessed daughter of Lynn and Ted Geller. Mr. Geller was a big name agent in Hollywood, and the group often found themselves at movie premieres and rubbing elbows with the likes of Robert DeNiro and Drew Barrymore.

When they were in junior high, Madeline Lynn and Louise Grant joined them. Madeline was the daughter of Jeffrey Lynn, owner of Lynn Steel. She was ditzy and yet completely intelligent in the ways of the world. It was often thought by the group that she and Louise shared a brain.

Louise Grant, granddaughter of oil monger Peter Grant and wife Regina, often found herself as the center of attention. She knew that everything she did was monitored and she was often spotted on the covers of numerous tabloids. They all loved Louise dearly, and knew that, deep down, she cared what other people thought of her.

Dave Rygalski completed the group freshman year of high school when he swooped in and stole Lane's heart. He was the son of the famous artist Elena Rygalski. He hadn't been to many society events because of the way his mother was viewed. Rory recalled many times when Elena had been referred to as "nothing but a fake who only splats paint on paper."

Together, though, the group withstood everything. It was mostly Rory, Finn and Jess, though, who caused the trouble. They realized, though, that Paris was the reason they hadn't been in trouble more. Lane often stood back and watched, knowing full well of the hell that would be loosed if they got caught. Dave laughed everything off, partly because he didn't want them to do whatever they were doing and partly because he was too scared to do some of the stuff they'd done. Louise and Madeline were the ones who got more people involved than necessary.

She hoped that, when they all started Yale together in the fall, they could stay out of trouble.

"Love?" Finn broke Rory from her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Rory asked.

"It's custom in the United States to get into the car when the door is opened," Jess joked. "Maybe Finn's got it wrong though. Maybe I have it wrong."

"Maybe the whole world has it wrong!" Finn exclaimed. "God help us, every one."

Rory rolled her eyes at her friends. "Maybe you two should let me get in the car now."

Finn stepped out of Rory's way. "As you wish."

Rory got into the car and watched as Jess and Finn bickered over who would be driving. She couldn't help but be thankful that she was friends with them. She also couldn't help but be thankful for the fact that her father was one of the best lawyers in Hartford.

"Let's go!" Rory shouted from her open window.

"Who's driving?" Finn asked.

Rory got out of the car and took the keys from Jess. "Me."

Jess looked at Rory. "You're kidding."

"The Gilmore-Hayden's do not kid," Rory replied.

Finn laughed. "Yeah. They eat more than is humanly necessary, but they do not kid."

Rory glared at Finn. "Just because I beat you at the Fun-Dip eating contest that day is no reason to be jealous."

Finn winced. "God, don't remind me."

"That was a good contest," Jess said, getting into the front passenger seat.

Rory winked at Finn and got into the driver's side. "Come on now, Finny."

Finn sighed and got into the back seat. "Why does the foreigner always get stuck in the back?"

Rory shrugged. "You're not as fast as Jess?"

"Look at it this way," Jess explained. "It's practice for if you ever get a girl back there."

Finn glared at Jess as Rory started the car. "Fuck you."

Jess smirked. "No thanks, Finn."

They made their way across town to their development. Rory noted that all of the houses looked the same. It wasn't the first time she'd noticed this, but today she noticed it more. Maybe it was because she was leaving for summer vacation. She didn't know.

"They all look the same, don't they?" Finn asked.

Rory looked at Finn from the rear view mirror. "You read my mind."

They all looked to their right: Jess's house. Next came Finn's house, then Rory's. Following Rory's came Lane's, then Paris's, Louise's, Dave's and, finally, Madeline's.

"We grew up in prison," Rory noted.

Jess nodded. "Yeah."

Rory pulled the car into Louise's driveway, where the blonde was sitting on her front porch with Lane, Dave, Madeline and Paris. The group waved to Rory, Jess and Finn as the car was turned off.

Rory, Jess and Finn got out of the car and made their way up the driveway to the porch.

"There's my trio of fugitives!" Louise greeted. "Are you going to jail?"

Rory shook her head and smirked. "Nope. Daddy got us off."

Madeline looked up at Rory. "Thank God we know what you're talking about."

"Yeah," Louise agreed. "Otherwise, 'daddy got us off' would sound --"

"Extremely pornographic," Madeline said.

Paris looked from Madeline to Louise. "You two spend way too much time together."

The two shrugged. "Oh well."

Lane smiled at Rory. "So, what happened? Is your dad pissed?"

"At me," Jess responded.

"What did you do now, Mariano?" Paris asked.

"He patronized the judge and almost started laughing in court," Rory said.

"It's Finn's fault!" Jess exclaimed. "If he wouldn't have rolled his eyes I wouldn't have laughed."

"I wouldn't have rolled my eyes if you two didn't get off on grand theft auto!" Finn replied.

"Boys," Rory said. "Settle down. You were doing so well."

"So, change of subject," Lane said.

"Summer," Louise said. "North Carolina."

"Many military boys," Madeline added.

"Pretty," Rory said.

"Any other adjectives?" Paris asked, looking at the boys.

Finn smirked. "Well, since you asked…"

"Don't finish that thought," Paris said.

"We're staying at the Hilton," Louise said. "Gramps set it up for us to stay in the top floor penthouse."

Rory smiled. "That's what I'm talking about."

"And my dad said if we needed anything to call," Paris said.

Rory hugged Paris. "I knew I liked you."

"You use me," Paris responded.

Rory feigned shock. "I resent that!"

"I'm joking with you Gilmore-Hayden," Paris said. "Or is it Gilmore now because you disgraced the family name? Or is it Hayden now because you disgraced the other family name?"

Rory laughed. "I disgraced the family name, but I'm not losing the double name."

Madeline stood up from her seat and made her way to the door. "Good, because I would have --"

"Been confused," Louise finished.

Paris turned to the two girls. "Way too much time together."


	2. Life's Been Way Off Line

Hey! Thank you so much for the reviews. In this chapter we catch a glimpse of Tristin. We also have dinner with both sets of grandparents. 

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Gilmore Girls belongs to AS-P. The title of this story is from "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. The title of this chapter comes from that song as well.

**Rating**: T - because Jess can't seem to keep his mouth clean, Finn likes getting laid waaaaay too much and because Rory finally likes to do something other than read.

It's the summer before senior year. She's up for a summer of boys and fun. He's ready to hit the sand and see the girls. Nothing could go wrong.

* * *

**Chapter 2**: _Life's Been Way Off Line_

The boy seemed to be absolutely bored. The girl sitting next to him didn't seem to mind. All seemed to be well.

But man, was she dumb.

"Tris," she whined. "Pay attention to me."

"I am," he replied, taking a swig of his beer and turning his attention back to the ditzy redhead sitting with him.

What was her name, anyway? Mitzy? CeCe?

"Emma!" someone shouted; the girl turned.

_That_ was her name.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"We're leaving!" the other person yelled.

Emma turned to him. "See you later?"

He almost laughed. Almost.

"Yeah," he replied. "Later."

She ran off. Thank. God.

"DuGrey!" he heard.

He thanked the gods above for making it a male voice. "Yeah?"

"Where have you been?" his male companion asked. "Oh, God. Not…"

"Emma," he finished.

"Tristin, seriously."

"Logan, seriously," he mockingly responded. "She's got a great pair of legs."

"So did Penny," Logan countered.

Tristin DuGrey studied his friend Logan Huntzberger. He'd changed since he'd met him three years ago.

"So," Tristin said, changing the subject. "To what do I owe this conversation? Setting me up?"

Logan shook his head. "No, actually. I just wanted to let you know that Louise and her friends are coming for a visit."

Louise.

_The reason for Logan's change_, Tristin thought.

"Her friends are coming this time?" Tristin asked. "Including the infamous Gilmore-Hayden girl?"

Logan nodded. "Yeah. Apparently Rory and her friends Finn and Jess just escaped jail time and they're coming to celebrate. For the whole summer."

"The whole summer, huh?" Tristin asked. "Sounds good. Maybe I'll…"

"Don't even think about getting involved with that one, DuGrey," Logan warned. "She's bad news. Worse news than you. What about Emma, anyway?"

"Emma's good for the moment," Tristin replied as he stood up and began walking away.

Logan stood up and followed his friend. "Tristin, come on. You can't just live your life bouncing from one girl to another."

Tristin looked at Logan. "And why not? It's been working out fine. It worked out fine for you until you got roped in by that Hartford socialite."

"We, my friend are also part of that society," Logan stated matter-of-factly. "And Louise changed me. She showed me what it's like to --"

"Be in love?" Tristin finished. "Sure she did."

"She did," Logan said. "I love her."

"Maybe that whole love thing works for you and Louise," Tristin said. "But I just don't see myself as the long-term relationship type."

"Lane and Dave, too," Logan stated.

"Excuse me?" Tristin asked.

"Lane and Dave are two of Louise's other friends," Logan explained. "They've been together since they were freshmen."

"Well, I'm not that kind of guy," Tristin said.

"You could be," Logan offered.

Tristin chuckled. "Or I could not be."

Logan sighed. "There is absolutely no getting through to you. Where are we going?"

"I, my friend, am going back to school," Tristin said. "Lights out is in twenty."

Logan nodded. "Yeah, that's right. We should go back. I have to call Louise anyway."

Tristin rolled his eyes. "You are a lost cause."

Logan smiled. "Yeah, but she's worth it"

* * *

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore-Hayden!" 

Rory sighed. "Why did mom choose my name again?"

Christopher glared at his daughter. "I would be careful with the comments tonight."

Rory set her purse down on the coffee table next to her and took off her coat. She knew better than to say anything negative about her mother in front of the Gilmore's. And the Hayden's, too.

She picked up her purse and followed her father into the living room. "Sure."

"What were you thinking?" Emily Gilmore asked. "Stealing a taxi cab in broad daylight is so juvenile."

"Young lady," Straub Hayden said. "Have a seat, your grandmothers, grandfather and I would like to have a talk with you."

Rory gritted her teeth and sat on the couch. "Yes, sir."

"Now," Richard Gilmore began. "You and your little escapades with the foreigner and the hoodlum are done."

Rory fought back the urge to roll her eyes. She looked to her father who eyed her cautiously. There was no getting out of tonight's dinner.

"You will not disgrace this family," Straub said. "Your grandmother won't take it."

Rory looked to Francine, who had been silent up to this point. She looked to her father again, who still said nothing.

Rory sighed and leaned back against the couch. "_I'm_ a disgrace to this family?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily questioned.

Rory stood up, growing angrier by the second. "It's supposed to mean that this family has plenty of black sheep, Emily."

Richard, shocked stood. "You will not talk to your grandmother like that."

Rory scoffed. "I can, and I will. I'm so sick of hearing how much of a disgrace I am to this family. Why don't you five walk in my shoes for a change? Why don't you try being the heir to the famous Gilmore-Hayden fortune?"

"We have, Rory," Christopher said. "I have. I know what it's like."

Rory shook her head. "No, you don't. You have no idea what it's like. You're too busy talking about how I'm such a disgrace to this family. Here's a newsflash: getting knocked up at sixteen is an even bigger disgrace."

"How dare you speak of your mother that way?" Richard questioned. "You owe your father an apology."

"For what?" Rory asked. "Admitting that my mother was a whore?"

"You will not speak of your mother like that!" Emily exclaimed.

Rory rolled her eyes and started walking away. "I can, and I will."

"Rory, where are you going?" Christopher asked.

"Out," she responded as she grabbed her coat and left.

The second she was out of the house, the tears began to fall. She slumped onto the porch and began sobbing. She didn't want to say those things. She didn't think her mother was a whore.

She didn't notice the Jaguar pass by, and then pull into the driveway in front of her. Jess quietly got out of his car and sat next to Rory.

"Rory?" Jess asked cautiously.

Rory looked up. "Jess, I'm…"

She fell into Jess. He held her tightly as she cried, and he knew what had transpired. He remembered the various occasions he'd come here only to see Rory on the front porch crying because she'd said something about her mother.He was the only one who had ever seen her like this.

"I'm here, Rory," he whispered. "It's okay, I promise."

And she cried, not believing him when he told her it would be okay.

Because she knew that her mother hated her. She just knew it.

Because she hated herself.


	3. Woke Up

Hey! Thank you so much for the reviews. **Lorelai is dead. She died giving birth to Rory. I wrote it in the first chapter, but I wanted to clarify for anyone who didn't read that part.** Anyway, this chapter is going to be their venture to NC. There will be a little bit of Trory action in this chapter, but Rory and Tristin won't "officially" meet until next chapter. 

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Gilmore Girls belongs to AS-P. The title of this story is from "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. The title of this chapter comes from "World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies -- great group, check 'em out!

**Rating:** T - because Jess can't seem to keep his mouth clean, Finn likes getting laid waaaaay too much and because Rory finally likes to do something other than read.

It's the summer before senior year. She's up for a summer of boys and fun. He's ready to hit the sand and see the girls. Nothing could go wrong.

* * *

**Chapter 3:** _Woke Up_

Most girls didn't do what Rory did. Most girls were known for being the star of their soccer team, or for getting the good grades.

They weren't known as the girl who killed her mother. They weren't blamed for the death of a woman whose smile could light up a room.

Rory didn't remember much about her mother. She didn't really know her. All she knew was that two hours after giving birth to a baby girl, Lorelai Victoria Gilmore the Second died from loss of blood. She was sixteen years old.

Christopher Andrew Hayden was left to raise the baby girl who took Lorelai away. He named the young girl Lorelai, with the hope that the little girl would turn out like her mother. In some respects, that is.

Rory turned out like her mother -- in all respects. Mostly. She was out all hours of the night. She was constantly getting in trouble. She often was spotted at raves and other similar events. She was, after all, the daughter of Lorelai Gilmore and Christopher Hayden.

Rory sighed. She was seated in between Jess and Finn. Jess was holding her hand. Finn was comforting her. But that wasn't what she wanted.

She looked to Louise, Madeline, Paris, Lane and Dave. They all seemed so happy. She wanted to be happy like them. She didn't want to be weak like her father -- to whom she hadn't spoken since her outburst at her grandparent's house.

Now she was on Louise's plane, and they were flying to North Carolina for the summer. Louise's boyfriend, Logan Huntzberger, was in military school down there. His father owned a cottage just minutes away from the Outer Banks.

"Rory?"

Rory looked to Paris, who was seated across from her. "Yeah?"

"You were spacing," Paris stated. "You okay?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."

Paris smiled. "Good. We're going to have fun down there."

Rory smiled, her first smile since the night before. "Yeah. We are."

"But you're going to stay out of trouble," Paris said. "You, Jess and Finn have had enough trouble."

Rory laughed. "I don't think so. Do you two?"

Finn contemplated the question for a moment. "No, I don't think we have."

"When we get to the big house," Jess said. "That's when we'll have enough trouble."

"Don't speak so fast," Lane warned. "You three almost did end up getting there."

"I'll have you know that I was just 'an innocent bystander'," Jess said.

"Right," Dave said. "And Lane and I are starting a rock band."

"You two in a rock band?" Rory asked. "That's funny. Lane can't hold a tune to save her life."

Lane's mouth dropped. "Lorelai Leigh!"

Rory giggled. "Sorry, Lane, but you know it's true."

Lane smiled. "Yeah. Fine. But you didn't have to be so mean!"

They all settled down for the rest of the plane ride. Rory fell asleep with her head in Jess's lap. Not wanting to think about anything else for the rest of the summer but the beach -- and the boys.

* * *

"DuGrey!"

Tristin sighed. Again. It was Logan. Again.

Telling him (again) that he was going to get Louise and could he, please, straighten up his side of the room.

"I'll do it, okay? I promise," Tristin said. "Just go get your girl and her little friends. I won't be here when you get back, though."

Logan nodded. "See you later."

"Yeah," Tristin responded.

It didn't take him long to clean up. Logan was just a neat freak. Granted, when it came to things regarding Louise, Logan was just a freak.

He sighed. He decided to go hang out with Emma. Logan was coming back soon. He really didn't want to hang out with his friends. Besides, it was nearing dark, and he needed to get out.

He walked out of his dorm and saw Emma, with another guy.

So much for that, he thought.

He turned on his heel and made his way down to the club. He'd find someone there. For sure.

He didn't notice Logan walking with a group of people. He didn't see the brunette followed by two tall boys going into the club.

* * *

"Rory! Wait up!"

Rory didn't stop when Paris called after her. She was tired, and wanted to cut loose. She wanted to get away from these people for a little bit. She hurried into the club, Jess and Finn not far behind her. At least she knew she could always count on them to be by her side.

"Love?" Finn asked. "What now?"

"I'll meet up with you in three hours?" Rory asked.

Jess and Finn looked at each other and then to Rory. They nodded.

"See you in three," Rory said. "Or before, if I get really bored. Rhyme!"

Jess chuckled. "Three."

Rory smiled and walked over to the bar. She was happy she had her fake ID with her. She almost didn't bring it, but decided on a whim to bring it in case she decided to drink.

Which is what she needed right now.

_"This is Rory," Louise said. "The felon."_

_Logan smirked. "Nice to meet you. Hope you're not corrupting my Louise here."_

_"We won't let that happen," Louise said. "Besides, Rory's got Jess and Finn here to do the corruption."_

_"You don't do anything for yourself?" Logan inquired._

_"Rory, doing something for herself?" Paris asked. "That's funny."_

She did things for herself. She did mostly everything for herself. Except her dinner. She couldn't cook to save her life.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked.

"Beer," she responded.

"ID?" he asked.

She showed him her fake. He barely glanced at it. She figured he only asked just to see if she had one. He held the bottle out for her and she took it.

"So, you aren't a Mary," an unfamiliar voice asked.

She turned to see a tall blond in front of her. "And you got the impression that I was?"

"You seemed it," the blond responded. "When you walked in here with the two bodyguards."

Rory rolled her eyes and brushed by him. "Shows how much you know."

"What you drinking?" he asked.

She showed him her bottle. "Beer."

"Classy," he stated.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Well, normally I'd sip champagne, but I was feeling rebellious tonight."

He smirked at her. His eyes were burning into her. She began to grow uncomfortable and brushed by him.

"Can I get a name?" he asked.

Rory looked back at him. "You don't have one? How sad."

She saw him following her and made her way to a deserted room. Safe, Rory. Nice. Now if he kills you no one's going to hear you scream.

"And why did you come back here?" he asked.

"To get away from you," she responded. "You obviously aren't too bright. When someone walks away from you, it means they don't want to be around you."

He smirked again. "Really? I thought you came back here to be alone with me."

She stared at him. His eyes were cold, dark, guarded. He was tall, but just tall enough. His hair seemed to be calling out to her to touch it. She sighed.

_May as well make the most of this summer_, she thought.

He stared at her. "So, do I have to kiss you, or are you going to do it anytime soon?"

Rory shrugged and turned around. "I don't know."

She began walking away, but felt a hand gently pull her back. She was brought face to face with him.

"I don't kiss boys I don't know," she whispered.

He smiled. "Tristin. Tristin DuGrey."

She smiled and kissed him. Bringing the summer to an official start. A very good official start.


	4. Never Enough

Wow… an update, and not a oneshot. No worries, your eyes don't deceive. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story.

Rating: T- for Jess's swearing, a slutty Rory and an alcoholic Finn.

**Chapter 4**: _Never Enough_

* * *

She woke up the next morning with a hangover she knew she deserved. There were also arms wrapped around her waist, and she had a feeling that she didn't play Scrabble with the person who was holding her. She looked around the room and took note that this was definitely not her room.

No, that would have been smart. To take him to her place so they could do what they had done. So she wouldn't have to walk back to Louise's and face Finn and Jess.

Shit. Those two were going to _kill_ her for not meeting them in three hours. And then they were never going to let her go out again.

"Shit," she muttered. "Shit, shit, shit." She attempted to peel herself from him, but he kept a firm grip on her. "Please let go."

He muttered something inaudible, and when she turned to look at him, her eyes were met with blue. "G'morning."

She smiled weakly. "I'm leaving. I have to get going before my friends worry about me." It was a lame excuse for leaving, but she really didn't want to stay here. She hoped he didn't want her to stay here, either.

He sighed and released his grip on her. "See you later." He turned over and fell back to sleep. She had a feeling he wouldn't remember any of it – especially if he was as hung over as she was.

She entered his bathroom and washed her face. She rinsed her mouth out with water, making a mental note to brush her teeth extra hard when she got back to the hotel. Before leaving the bathroom she gave herself a once over, and knew that with the way she looked, she would definitely owe Finn and Jess an explanation.

She glanced back at his sleeping form in the bed, and she felt an unfamiliar tug at her heart as she opened the door.

Glancing back at him once more, she shrugged off the feeling she got just by looking at him and stepped outside, wiping him from her memory. Another guy, another night.

She shielded her eyes from the sun as she stepped outside, and thanked whatever higher power that was keeping an eye on her for seeing the sign for the Hilton just down the street. She prayed this higher power would be around when she got there.

She quickly made her way down the sidewalk and into the hotel. Using the elevator was probably the safest way to go, considering her feet were still wobbly. And she wondered briefly precisely what they'd done last night. She really didn't remember anything after around the fourth shot of tequila, and she figured that had something to do with it.

She had kissed him. That much she remembered. He wasn't a bad kisser, and she could tell he had some experience in the area. They'd then decided to spend the rest of the night drinking and kissing. And then everything went fuzzy. She shook her head, wiping the memory away. She was not going to let a one night stand ruin her summer.

The door to the elevator opened and she took a deep breath. She prayed they hadn't looked for her the night before. "About fucking time."

She snapped to attention and saw Jess and Finn laying on the two couches. "Hi?"

"Yeah," Jess said. He was smirking at her, but not his usual smirk. He was _pissed_. "Want to know what we were doing last night?"

"And it wasn't getting fucking laid." Finn glared at her. She knew she should have called them. "But we already know that's what you were doing, kitten."

Rory sighed. "I ended up doing something else last night. I forgot to call. I'm sorry."

Finn scoffed. "More like some_one_ else, love." He sat up and looked at her. "What the hell were you thinking, Rory? I wouldn't even do that."

"And there's a _lot_ of shit Finn will do, Rory," Jess said. He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her. "Are you fucking insane? I'm sure the guy didn't look like a psycho murderer or anything…"

"I sure as hell don't look like an alcoholic," Finn began. "But that doesn't mean someone wants to take me out to a fancy restaurant to sip champagne."

"Well it's not like I'm going to see him again." Rory knew her voice sounded weak. She didn't sound convincing at all. She wondered briefly if it was because she _wanted_ to see him again.

"Doesn't matter," Jess stated. "You could have at least called us, Rory."

"Thought you were smarter than that, love," Finn stated. He stood up and went to the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge. No one spoke, and Rory felt everything closing in. She knew they'd be mad, but she never expected them to worry that much about her.

"You're drinking?" Rory asked. She knew it was a stupid question. Finn drank all the time, but the silence was getting to her.

"Look," Jess started. "You're seventeen. You can do what you want. But please for the love of everything holy don't do something stupid like that again. I need to get sleep –"

"And sex!" Finn called from the kitchen. Rory glared at him and he shrugged.

"And sex during this vacation." Jess sighed. "Call the next time you decide you're going to have a one night stand." He gave her one last look before he made his way to a bedroom. Rory realized she hadn't even unpacked or picked out a room yet. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry, Finn," she said to him as she made her way into the kitchen. "I didn't realize you and Jess would be so worried."

"Why not?" His eyes widened at her confession. "You're our best friend, love. You should have expected something like this. Especially since you've never stayed out all night without calling." He took a drink and pointed down the hall. "We put you in a room of your own. Second door to your right."

She nodded and gave him one last glance before she made her way down the hall. She felt bad about what she'd done, but there was also a new feeling she had. A feeling of emptiness. She pushed the feeling away as she stepped into her room and went to the bathroom. She was not going to let this Tristin DuGrey get to her.

* * *

"How was it last night?"

Tristin winced in pain. "Speak softer. Use smaller words. And I honestly don't remember too much of it." He _knew_ what happened. What he didn't know was where she'd gone. Why she had left this morning. He only remembered seeing her briefly this morning.

"Bull shit," Logan countered. Tristin glared at him and shrugged. "DuGrey, you're going to tell me what happened or I'm not giving you aspirin."

"Look, I don't remember. I remember kissing her and having drinks with her. I'm fairly sure I slept with her, but I don't remember her name or where she went." Logan looked at Tristin in surprise. No one had ever left Tristin. It was definitely a first.

"I like this girl already," Logan said. "She's the female version of you. What's her name?"

"She didn't stick around long enough to give it," Tristin responded as he got out of bed. He wished he could remember for the life of him where she'd told him she was staying. Or did she tell him? He wasn't too sure of that right now.

"You better start getting ready," Logan said as he set a cup of coffee and two aspirin on the counter. "We're meeting Louise and her friends for breakfast." Tristin began to protest, but Logan held his hand up to silence him. "And you're not getting out of it. You begged off last night and got laid. The least you can do for me now is meet my girlfriend's friends."

Tristin sighed. "You drive a hard bargain, Huntz. You sure you're the same guy I graduated with two weeks ago?"

Logan shrugged in response. "Things change, DuGrey. Now get yourself straightened up. We're leaving in half an hour."

Tristin nodded and stood up, making his way over to the counter. He leaned against the counter, taking the aspirin and drinking his coffee. What was it about this girl that made her different? Other than the fact that she didn't stick around the morning after. He scanned his apartment for any sign that she'd been there. And there wasn't. It was like the previous night had never happened.

He walked over to his dresser and found his shirt. He sure as hell wasn't dressing up for Huntz's girlfriend. She and her friends were going to like him or they weren't. He really didn't care either way.

"You ready?" Logan asked after Tristin had brushed his teeth. Tristin glared at him before nodding and following Logan out of the apartment. "You're really going to like her. She gets me."

"Hey, she's put up with you for this long. I already respect her," Tristin stated as they made their way down the sidewalk. "Where are we going?" They were nearing a restaurant at the base of the Hilton.

"We're meeting them here," Logan responded as he opened the door. "Now come on."

Tristin followed Logan into the restaurant and spotted a group of teens sitting at a table. He saw Logan walk over to a blonde and sit next to her. He assumed this was Louise. Seated next to her was a brunette, but he couldn't see her face. She looked familiar, though.

* * *

"Hey, guys," Logan greeted as he sat down next to Louise. "Rough night, Rory?"

"Speak softly," she responded as she took a sip of her coffee. "Hang over nursing in process."

"She stayed out all night," Louise stated, looking at him and smirking. "We warned her, but she just wouldn't listen." Louise looked over to Rory, who was holding her head and glaring at her coffee, biting back a comment.

"We even tried to get her to change," Madeline offered. "But nothing." Rory shrugged. She didn't look bad. She was wearing her athletic shorts and a t-shirt. She wasn't trying to impress anyone anyway.

"Don't worry," Logan said. "My roommate had a girl over last night and when he woke up this morning he looked like hell, too." He smirked and put his arm around Louise. "She apparently left him this morning, too. No note or anything."

Rory froze. It was a coincidence. There was no way in hell that Tristin was Logan's roommate. No way, no how, no…

"Where's your roommate?" Louise asked, looking around. "Ah, there he is."

Rory turned and followed Louise's gaze. "Oh…"

Tristin's breath caught when he approached the table. "Shit."

Everyone looked up and saw Rory and Tristin staring at each other in shock.

"You two know each other?" Logan asked. "How…" And then a look of realization took over his face and he looked in shock from Tristin to Rory. "Rory's the girl who left this morning?"

"Rory?" Tristin asked. "The Gilmore-Hayden girl."

Rory smirked, putting on her best game face. This was not going to happen to her. She was not going to end up humiliated by this. "Well, Tristin. Seems we have more in common than we thought."


	5. You Don't Know Me

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: See first chapter. The title of this chapter is from _Boston_ by _Augustana_.

Rating: T- yeah, you know why already.

**Chapter 5**: _You Don't Know Me_

* * *

Tristin smirked. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead making his way around the table. "Looks like it." He took a seat between the two guys he'd first seen Rory with. "Good seeing you, Mary."

Rory watched as both Jess and Finn eyed Tristin cautiously. She held in her smile, ignoring the looks she was getting from Logan and Louise, choosing instead to focus on her menu. This was definitely going to be an interesting breakfast.

"So, you and Tristin met last night?" Louise's voice broke her from her thoughts. She saw the look in Louise's eyes, hopeful that maybe they'd been mistaken in hearing the exchange.

Rory nodded, smiling and turning to face Louise and Logan. "Yeah. He called me Mary and we then proceeded to drink away our problems." She looked to Tristin. "Isn't that right, Tris?"

He nodded. He knew the game she was playing. He'd become an expert at playing coy and forgetting many nights spent with girls. This girl would be no different. "She's right. And after drinking away our problems, we… well, you know." He smirked at her raised eyebrows. "Right, Mary?"

She glared at him, turning in her chair to focus on Jess and Finn, who looked like they were watching a tennis match. Each looked extremely interested in what Rory's response would be. She smiled. "I see no reason why you should be calling me Mary, Tris. It really doesn't suit me." She ran a hand through her hair. "You of all people should know that. Unless you're the one who's a Mary here."

Tristin was at a loss for words. He had never before been put in his spot like that. Rory smiled smugly at him. He only nodded, all of the sudden aware of the eyes on him. "Oh, no worries, _Mary_." He spat the name out, and she brushed away the hurt she suddenly felt. This was all a game to him. That's all their night together was, was a game. "I'm not a Mary. You, however, seemed a bit rusty."

She felt like she had been slapped. She'd never had to resort to low blows. Clearly, though, she'd met her match. Not that she would be admitting that – especially to _him_. She put on her best game face. "Just not used to the size, I guess." She shrugged, looking down at the menu again.

"Too big?" he asked, smirking at her.

He'd fallen right into her trap. She smiled innocently at him, before smirking and letting out a sarcastic laugh. "No." She let silence fall over the table. She saw Lane, Dave, and Madeline in her peripheral waiting for her next words. Anxious to see what she would come back with. Finn looked at her expectantly. Jess smirked at her and Paris glared at her, both already knowing what she was going to say. "Too…" She paused, smirking at him. "Small? Yeah. That's the word."

Tristin felt his cheeks heat up. He had walked right into that. He took a deep breath, fully ready to make a comment. But before he knew it, Logan was standing up, smiling sympathetically at Louise. "How about we do lunch instead? I think we've all had enough fun for ten minutes."

"No, man," Tristin replied, staring at Rory. "We're okay."

Rory smirked, raising her eyebrows. "You don't have to leave yet. I was just getting warmed up." She opened her mouth to say something again, but was silenced by Louise.

"No," Louise stated. "We'll just reschedule for lunch. Rory, you look pale. Why don't you go rest?"

Rory smiled innocently at Louise, who was pleading with her eyes. "I think you're right, Lou. I'll go take a nap." She smirked one last time at Tristin before getting up and going up to her room. Louise was going to _kill _her.

Tristin watched her walk away. He noticed that the two guys were now openly glaring at him. Logan, noticing this as well, nodded toward the door. Tristin nodded, standing.

"Lovely seeing you," he bid to them before walking away. He knew they were now probably planning his death. And Logan?

Oh man, Logan was going to massacre him.

--

Rory laid on the bed and closed her eyes. She massaged her temples, trying to fight off the head ache that she thought she'd gotten rid of.

"Gilmore-Hayden!"

Yeah, that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon. Louise was _pissed_. And Paris probably was, too. She sighed as she sat up, and came face to face with Louise and Paris.

"What the hell is your problem?" Rory was surprised that the question came from Paris. She went to answer, but was shushed with Paris' hand. "No, you don't talk. You listen. You think you can just walk all over people's feelings? Rory, even this you – this… person who doesn't date and fucks anything that walks – even _she_ doesn't walk all over people's feelings."

"And you ruined breakfast, Rory!" exclaimed Louise. "Did you just wake up this morning and decide to be a bitch?" Louise sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "It's like ever since you decided to steal that cab with Jess and Finn you became someone completely different."

Rory sighed, waiting to see who would talk next. Instead, silence filled the room, and she took an opportunity to defend herself. "He started it." They looked at her, waiting for an explanation. "He was just sitting there and being all smug and expecting me to take his crap and insult me!" She sighed, leaning back against the wall.

The two girls looked to Rory and then at each other. Smiles formed on their faces. Louise was the first to take a seat next to Rory. "You like him." Rory blushed, and Louise slapped a hand on her knee, smiling at her. "That's pretty cool, Rory."

Paris nodded, taking a seat on Rory's other side. "You haven't really liked anyone… well, ever."

"Oh, no, I do _not _like him,"Rory argued. "No. Not even close. He's such a jack ass. And the way he talked to me? No." She sighed. She'd been fighting it since she left. The horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that had taken residence since she'd left this morning without telling him her name. She shook her head, and was met with Paris' questioning gaze.

Paris smiled at her. "So…"

Rory looked at Paris. "So?"

Louise rolled her eyes. "So… what are you going to do about it?"

Rory scoffed. "Oh, god. No. I'm not doing anything about it." The two girls raised their eyebrows at her, questioning. "He insulted me, and didn't even care about last night. One guy -- especially this one -- is _not_ going to change me. I refuse to let that happen." She looked at her two friends, who were staring at her in shock.

"Right," Paris scoffed. "You like him. Louise and I know it. Hell, I'll bet even your two minions know it too. The sooner you admit it, the sooner we can all rest easy knowing you haven't contracted any STD's." Rory sighed, knowing this was not the time or place to argue with Paris. But she was definitely _not_ going to admit to anyone anytime soon that her feelings for Tristin were more than for just that night.

"Well," Louise began. "Take a nap. I think Logan's coming over to get me to take out to breakfast. Since, you know, you and Tristin decided to have it out this morning." Louise smirked. "Take a nap and a shower. And please try to be civil for lunch. Hey, maybe you and Tristin can sort out your differences. You know, set a date..."

Rory rolled her eyes, flopping back on the bed and throwing a pillow over her eyes. "Okay, go away now."

Louise and Paris grinned at each other before patting Rory's knees and making their way out of the room. Rory sighed and turned over on her side, willing herself to go to sleep. Hoping that maybe after she took a nap she would realize she was going crazy. And that she _wasn't_ going crazy for him.

--

"What the fuck happened back there?"

The slam of a door made Tristin shoot straight out of bed. Logan, as he had predicted, was _pissed_. He smirked, turning to face his friend. Logan looked like his head was ready to explode.

He sighed. "She started it." It was a lame excuse, and hardly true, but he figured he could start there and then play it by ear.

Logan scoffed. "Right. And you just sat idly by, right? Do you have any idea what the hell you did by even sleeping with her? She's not like all those dip shit blondes you date, DuGrey. This one actually gives a shit about the guys she sleeps with." Tristin tried to say something, but Logan silenced him. "No. You have no right to say anything. What the hell was going through your mind? Are you crazy?"

Tristin shook his head. "No. I didn't mean to sleep with her. But it does take two to tango, Huntz. You should know that. Your relationship with Louise started out with no strings. Or are we forgetting that right now because I'm the one who fucked up?" He stared pointedly at Logan, who was looking at the floor. He knew he'd finally gotten his point across. He wasn't the only bad one. Rory hadn't exactly been saying no. "Besides, she's the one who left this morning without telling me her name or saying good-bye."

Then, Logan looked at him. Studied him. Logan snapped his fingers, smirking. "You like this girl." Logan chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day. I really never thought I'd see the day."

"No," Tristin responded. "No. I do not like this girl. Never. She's impossible and completely not like me at all. Or are we forgetting that now, too?" He sighed. Truthfully, he'd been battling with the feelings all morning. The feeling of waking up in an empty bed. The feeling that he'd finally had the best night's sleep in a long time last night. He sighed again, running a hand through his hair. Logan had him beat. "Okay. I might like her a little."

Logan shook his head, smirking. "So…"

Tristin raised his eyebrows. "So…"

"So," Logan began. "What are you going to do about it?"

Tristin nodded, realizing what Logan meant. "Absolutely nothing. In case you've forgotten, she hates me at the moment."

Logan nodded. "And for good reason. But when has that ever stopped you?" He smirked, grabbing his keys.

Tristin shrugged. "It's going to stop me now. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go get Louise and take her out for breakfast," Logan replied. "And you, my friend, are going to shower and take a nap so that you're not hung over for lunch." Tristin started to protest, but Logan just shook his head. "No. You're not getting out of this one. You fucked up breakfast, so you're coming to lunch." Logan smirked, an idea coming to mind. "Hey, maybe you and Rory could talk. You know, sort out your differences. Maybe even set a date?"

Tristin rolled his eyes, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Logan's retreating form. "Just take your girl out to lunch. I'll be there at lunch." Logan stared at him pointedly. "And I promise to be showered, not hung over and on my best behavior."

Logan nodded. "Good. See you in three hours."

Tristin flopped back on the bed, covering his eyes. He heard the door slam and sighed. Was Logan right? Had he really fallen for this girl? He hoped that maybe, just maybe, when he woke up the feelings would go away.

That was it. He needed sleep. Then he'd realize that he was crazy. And not crazy for her.


	6. Gut Instincts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls. **

**A/N: I apologize for the wait. For You I Will is being worked on right now as well. Hopefully I'll be able to get the prequel to Ordinary Outcome up in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**: _Gut Instincts_

"So you're coming tonight, right?"

Rory looked up to the expectant eyes of Louise, closing her book around her finger. The boys at the military school were throwing a graduation party, with a subsequent book burning later at night. She sighed. She hadn't really been in the mood to do anything, especially with her newfound realization of her feelings for Tristin. "Is my presence necessary? Like absolutely, need-you-there-because-Paris-might-kill-someone necessary?"

Louise smiled and shook her head. "Nope. It's Tristin's-going-to-be-there-so-you-have-to-be-there-as-well necessary." Rory sighed in response, prompting a whine from Louise. "Come on, Rory. You promised you'd go out with me this week. You have to come to this."

Rory rolled her eyes. "I've been busy this week, Louise." Which was partially true. She'd been busy explaining away any feelings she had for Tristin. Or, better yet, feelings she _didn't_ have for Tristin. Because she didn't have any feelings for him. At all. "Besides, Tristin's going to be plenty busy with the rest of the girls there. I don't see why my presence is mandatory."

"You make it sound like a school field trip," Louise joked. "Just come tonight. I swear I'll never ask you to do anything for the rest of the summer." Rory narrowed her eyes at Louise. Louise held up two fingers. "Scout's honor."

"You're not a scout," Rory responded, turning her attention back to her book. "So don't even try that one."

Louise sighed loudly. "Please, Rory. You don't even have to stay that long. It would mean a lot to me if you went. You're my best friend. And you haven't done anything since you figured out that you might actually—_gasp_—have feelings for Tristin."

Rory rolled her eyes in response. "If I tell you I'll go for an hour will you leave me alone about that? Besides, I'm not even sure if I have feelings. More like… instincts."

"Whatever," Louise scoffed. "And yes, I'll leave you alone about these so called _instincts_ if you'll go."

"Done," Rory relented, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm there. But only for an hour and I am _not_ talking to him. Or looking at him, for that matter. I'm not even going to _think_ about him."

"Sounds like a good plan," Louise responded. "Cleopatra."

"Get out of here, Lou," Rory said. "Go play with your Ken doll."

"There are so many dirty responses I could give you, but I think I'll spare you the images," Louise told her, smirking. The petite blonde scampered out of the room quickly, leaving Rory to herself. Rory made an attempt to read, but found herself getting distracted each time she started reading. She sighed and set the book down, making her way to the common area where Jess and Finn were sitting.

Jess looked up from his book as Rory entered. "Hey. I take it Louise conned you into the party?"

Rory groaned in response, ignoring the smirk Finn gave her. "Yes. And she wants me to be there solely because Tristin's going to be there." Finn chuckled, and she smacked his chest lightly. "This is not funny. I'm not even interested in the guy and—"

"I beg to differ, love," Finn interjected. "I seem to remember your crisis the other day after realizing just precisely how you felt. I'm going to take a shot in the dark here and say you're in the denial stage of it."

Rory turned to Jess, jerking her thumb in Finn's direction. "Has he been drinking?"

"Surprisingly, no," Jess responded. "Which I'm guessing is why he's talking sense."

"_Non_sense is what he's talking," Rory said, standing up and going back to her room. "I do _not_ like Tristin like that. He's such an egotistical jack ass and he just expects every girl to fall at his feet. Like all he has to do is snap his fingers and I'm there. Well here's a newsflash for Mr. I'm-God-So-Bow-Down-To-Me: I'm _not_ falling at his feet. Nope. Not me."

"Cleopatra," Finn said, standing up. "I need beer. All this sense talking made me thirsty."

Rory rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "_Non_sense you mean."

"As you have already pointed out, love," he told her as he walked away. Jess chuckled and Rory glared at him, but didn't look up from his book. "Ah, sweet nectar of the gods!" Finn's declaration caused Jess to chuckle again.

"Don't let Rory hear you say that," Paris called from her room. "She's already on the edge about Tristin!"

Jess finally glanced at Rory and caught her glare. He threw his arm around her and she leaned into his embrace, pouting. "See Ror? Even Paris can see it. Now you know you have a problem when even Paris can see past your defense."

--

"So she's here, right?" Tristin asked Logan and Louise as they sat around the fire, surrounded by a bunch of the guys they'd graduated with. "Because I don't see her. You're absolutely sure she's here?"

Louise giggled, hearing the panic in Tristin's voice. "She's here. She just told me she wouldn't even look at you tonight. She's in the denial stage. Just give her, oh, five minutes and she'll be in the friendly stage, where she tries to decide if she's crazy or she really likes you."

Tristin rolled his eyes. "I don't even know if _I_ like her."

"Please," Logan scoffed. "You've been moping for the last week and a half because she hasn't called and you haven't seen her. In my book, that amounts to liking someone."

"Or depression," Louise added. "Have you been feeling any other emotions other than sadness in the last week and a half?"

"Funny," Tristin stated. "Cute girlfriend you have there. Tell me, has she ever been told that she's insane?"

"Only by Rory," Louise responded. "Of course it was after I gloated about her liking you and after calling me insane she also said something to the effect of 'you're always right, Lou, how does that happen?'" Louise smiled. "I of course told her that I'm always right in the ways of love."

"And not insane," Logan added.

"And not insane," Louise echoed, cuddling into Logan's arms. "I'm so glad we're past the stage of denial."

"I'm not in denial," Tristin said. "I'm just… I just… I don't want to get rejected."

Louise nodded, smirking. "Well, here's your chance, cowboy. She, Jess and Finn just walked over. See?" She pointed over to the bar.

Tristin followed Louise's finger to the three brunettes and sighed. "And she brought them with her."

"Hey, if you want to be with Rory you're going to have to deal with those two," Louise said. "That's your package deal. It's like a buy one get two free sale. Only you're not buying her."

Logan smirked. "We hope."

Tristin rolled his eyes at the couple and stood slowly, brushing off his shorts. "I'm going to go… walk. Or something."

"Have fun walking," Logan said.

"Or something," Louise added.

Tristin shook his head as he walked down to the shoreline. He took a seat just above where the waves were washing in. He needed time to gather his thoughts before talking to Rory. He'd only just discovered that he possibly liked her. He didn't want to get psyched up for her to like him back only for her to shoot him down.

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. It had been so long since he'd actually liked a girl. Actually, he never really _had_ liked a girl, with the exception of the elementary school crushes he'd had when he was little. But when he'd gotten older, he had realized just how petty the girls at school were, and had vowed to never date.

And then she popped up. And now he was analyzing whether or not it was really a good idea to like her.

"Hey, stranger." The greeting startled him, and he looked up and saw Rory walking over to him. She looked as nervous as he felt. She was standing, fidgeting with her shirt and he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he was not alone in being uncomfortable.

"Hey," he greeted. "How's… uh… how are you?" _Get a hold of yourself, DuGrey, it's just a girl… who you happen to really, __**really**__ like._

Rory smiled at him. "I'm… okay. How are you?"

"I guess I'm just a little confused," he responded honestly. "I mean… I've been hearing some interesting things this past week."

"Yeah," she said. "Me, too. Well, not really hearing them. More like… realizing them, too. And hearing them. Not that I've been fishing for information or anything like that. I've just been… sorry. I'm rambling."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but I won't hold that against you." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You can sit down if you want. I won't bite."

"Unless I ask, right?" she asked, taking a seat beside him. "I mean, if I ask then that kind of means you have to do it. Since I… asked. Right?"

He rolled his eyes. "You are one crazy girl."

"I've heard that rumor before," she said.

Silence enveloped the pair as they watched the waves wash in. They stole glances at one another over the course of a minute. Finally, after one last glance cast toward her fair-haired companion, Rory decided to be the first to take the leap.

"I heard you had feelings for me."

Tristin looked at Rory fully now, not hiding when she looked straight back at him. "You sure know how to dive right in."

She shrugged. "I didn't really feel like waiting until retirement to talk about it. Besides, it's not like it's a big deal. Weirder things have happened."

"Weirder than realizing that I, Tristin DuGrey—"

"And I, Rory Gilmore-Hayden—"

"Like each other?" he finished.

She shrugged again. "It still sounds weird. No matter how much I admit it." She sighed, picking at an invisible spot in her jeans. "I mean, I just don't do the dating scene. It's never really worked for me. I've never seen the point in committing to something."

"Except for, say, a cell phone plan?" he asked.

She nodded, smiling triumphantly. "Exactly!"

"I know exactly what you mean," he said to her, then after a beat, "but would it be so bad if we liked each other? Think about it: the two most notorious players, finally settling down."

"We'd definitely be the talk of the town," she commented. "But still, don't you think it's too much of a risk? I mean, you saw how we acted that morning at breakfast. We'd kill each other, Tristin."

"We might," he responded. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take, Rory. I've never liked a girl before."

"Boys more your thing?" she quipped, giggling.

"You know what I mean," he said.

She nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. I do. I've never really liked someone. Not like I like you."

"And the thought of a relationship is the only thing besides children that scares the hell out of me, but—"

"You're scared of kids, too? Wow, I thought I was the only one," she interjected.

He sighed, taking her hand in his. "But I think if we don't try this… this one thing, we'll regret it."

"Or we'll be badgered to death by Louise and Logan," she added.

He offered her a half-smile. "Either way, it's going to be painful. So I say we go for this. If worse comes to worse, then when they bury us they can truly say we tried everything."

"The murder-suicide option is open?" Upon his nod, she grinned. "I guess it won't be so bad as long as we have that option open."

He scooted closer to her. "Rory."

She looked at him, unsure. Was this what she wanted? Did she really want to try something so… so… new? Different?

_Possibly amazing?_ She smiled at the thought. This really could be something amazing. It could be something good for her, too. She knew that much. She looked into the blue eyes of the boy sitting next to her and offered him a smile. "You really want to try something like this with me?"

He smiled back. "If you're willing to try something like this with me."

She squeezed his hand that had been holding hers. "Let's do it then." She brought her other hand to the side of his face. "Let's be a couple."

He chuckled, resting his other hand on her waist as they turned to face each other. "Ready for me, Gilmore?"

Rory rested her forehead on Tristin's. "Only if you're ready for me."

And as he kissed her that night, she felt the summer take an interesting turn. In the form of her boyfriend. Tristin DuGrey.


End file.
